With the 2026 World Cup just a couple of months away, Democratic leaders in New Jersey and New York are seemingly at a loss regarding transportation for fans heading to MetLife Stadium. It’s a bit perplexing, really.
New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill recently shocked everyone by announcing that train travel to the eight World Cup matches at the Meadowlands will jump from the usual $12.90 to an astonishing $150. This didn’t sit well with FIFA, which has issued a pretty strong response.
FIFA argues that the original deal specified that the local area would cover transport costs for attendees, while Sherrill maintains that this agreement was established by a previous Democratic administration in Trenton, and for some mysterious reason, it doesn’t seem to hold now.
It feels as though the Democrats, who largely preside over the New York City metro, have spent years trying to figure out transportation for this event and have accomplished… well, nothing at all.
There’s really no excuse for this situation. I mean, we’re talking about a soccer match, not some massive military operation. National leaders shouldn’t be embarrassed over something that should be straightforward.
In the meantime, Gotham’s somewhat controversial mayor, Zoran “Madman” Mamdani, had promoted affordable World Cup tickets for working-class New Yorkers last year. Yet, as it stands, the Democratic administration is failing to bring fans to the stadium.
It doesn’t quite add up. MetLife Stadium accommodates around 20 NFL games each year. The Super Bowl happened there, and Taylor Swift had a three-day concert that drew 217,000 fans. So, how tough can it be to get fans to see a match, say, between Ghana and Uruguay?
This seems to be a pattern in Democratic-led areas. Take Maryland, for instance. The rebuilding of the Francis Key Scott Bridge, which was damaged by a ship, was meant to cost $2 billion and finish in 2028. Now it’s projected to hit $5 billion and remain closed until 2030.
Then there’s California, where Governor Gavin Newsom has poured billions into various projects—high-speed rail, animal shelter overpasses, efforts against homelessness—but trains remain nonexistent, wildlife bridges sit unfinished, and homelessness is arguably worse.
When I relocated from Brooklyn to West Virginia, I recall a local bridge undergoing construction. Unexpectedly, I learned it would be done a week early and within budget. I was genuinely surprised and called a friend in the NYC Council to share the news. His response? A laugh—he couldn’t believe it either.
Honestly, it feels as though urban Democrats are merely tossing funds at feasibility studies. Often, the findings suggest that projects aren’t viable, yet somehow this leads to even more funding requests for additional research.
But in rural areas, we actually see officials solving problems. The degree of incompetence that urban voters seem willing to accept from the Democratic Party is puzzling. Just look at the scandal in Minnesota’s Somalia Quality Learning Center or the seemingly miraculous recoveries in a troubled California hospice.
In New York and New Jersey, it appears that Democratic leaders are treating the relatively simple task of mobilizing fans like a monumental challenge, reminiscent of some ancient biblical tale. It’s akin to what officials a century ago would have easily managed.
While old Democratic organizations in cities like New York and Philadelphia were undoubtedly corrupt, they had a knack for getting things done. Back when Giants Stadium hosted the World Cup in 1994, such transportation issues simply didn’t arise.
It’s a disheartening reflection on our cities, where it seems the only answer for Democrats is to continue spending taxpayer money while failing to address urban decline.
Maybe one day, if Republicans put in enough effort, city dwellers will consider a change in leadership. Until then, well, good luck making it to the game.
